Kitschpoesie: Vienna

Written a few blocks away from the Belvedere Palace.

The ring follows its course

It does to be sure;

Under the wane candleflame 

Which weaned us into centuries 

Of spoiled girls and boys 

It is given to Countess Zichy

Who grows spastic under the diamond chandeliers

Who is cautious of 

All the ribald wiling away of 

The guardsmen. 

Oh your brother is at it again

Maybe he found it amusing to wear a scapulier 

I sure didn’t!

And those ridiculous white ermine trims 

By god, you’d think he...

He was playing us for fools. 

Theresa stings her wasp waist

Butterflies her green faille

Gestures with a signet

And waits in the divan

In a translucent blouse 

She is clammy and mercury-mad

“My headlights are on”

Well the headwriter for this piece

And all the editors refuse to 

Give conclusive statements for the moment

But if I may sneak into the presses

And screw up all the linotype

I shall be quite clear:

SHE IS A WHORE

(For sake of HONESTY and clarity

Which are the most important 

Qualities in a journalist

I shall say the following

She rejected my advances

In the Palais Rothschild

But that doesn’t mean...

Well damn it all to hell what it means

Make of it what you will)

Interminable snakes of light

Choke my face

Interminable 

Interminable 

And it is with the blood on the cup 

I flourish smoke geraniums 

And it is with a shortening spire

I would stab this radius 

All these belfries lean on

My pennypinching interest rates. 

The Rathaus, a gothic encumbrance 

Isn’t it funny

To go on a spending spree

For a republic that is about to go kaputt?

Then you ran, lithe

‘Cross the arcade of the

Ferstel palace

Your front teeth shined 

Under the skylight

Skylights making rubrics

Upon all our silks, on our cachemire 

And there was so much silver 

That they melted upon our id

So many passages left to right 

And fiacres trampling in the night

That we couldn’t possibly

Be assured that it was no opium dream. 

Then many things happened, oh yes to be sure

Karl Lueger happened, yes

And then there was the whole Mayerling business

But that was before. 

But it set it in motion didn’t it?

Poor Mary, the little bitch didn't know what was what

Or did she?

I don’t know. 

All I know is that I will never dance

In the Prater, will never dance, neverever again

And that is all that is all I know

That is all.

But remember the view we had from the wheel?

I touched your left tit

Then I felt crass about it

We reached the cusp

And it was almost as if we could…

As if we could do it! Have the slice of the cake

Well anyways, you know what I mean. 

I remember. Remember quite well

Our first kiss. The sunlight was buckling its knees

And you were all tawny

We were pushed against the wall

In the Rotunda

I think you were a terrible kisser actually 

You dug in your tongue like 

I don’t know. You were always better at similes

And the next day, the whole place burnt down

You said it was our love

I laughed

Maybe it was

There isn’t much to believe in 

So I will take that

And anyways I don’t want tea

Have you noticed the days are getting shorter?

Or is it just me.